Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was allegedly offered the chance to snap up the technology to Project Natal back in 2007 – but turned it down due to price and latency issues.
We actually reported that Nintendo said a big no to PS3 and Xbox 360 Motion Sensing Approaches back in June of last year, so this isn't huge news it must be said.
However, CVG has fleshed it out by citing a 'top insider' that claims that Nintendo saw an early demo of the device from Israeli company 3DV Systems – the same company that is rumoured, but not confirmed, to be behind the peripheral that Microsoft unveiled at last year's E3.
“Honestly – I've heard Iwata describe the prototype he saw at length, and it's definitely Natal,” said CVG's source. “3DV showed off a camera that detected motion in 3D, and had voice recognition – but Iwata-san was unconvinced he could sell it at a Nintendo price point. He also had some worries around latency during gameplay.”
If true, it would seem clear that Nintendo was not going to be swayed by a camera-based add-on, given that the company had explored the technology before settling on the Wii Remote, which was unveiled at E3 2006. Last June, Iwata said that “his company had made experimental games controlled by camera-based sensors, but got better results with the accelerometers it eventually chose to use for its Wii console.”
The anonymous source continues; “What we witnessed at E3 [2009] was smaller and the facial [reading] stuff had improved, but it's the same technology [as the 2007 demo for Nintendo]. We remain unconvinced Natal will deliver on the more sophisticated elements of what Microsoft is promising at the price they're aiming for.”
Meow. No doubt Microsoft will have something to say about that, but the price issue might have some weight given that the company has recently made hardware modifications to Natal in order to keep the peripheral's price point down.
What say you, SPOnGers? Would Natal have been a good fit for Nintendo, or best left with Microsoft? Answers on a postcard - or preferably, on the forum below.
We actually reported that Nintendo said a big no to PS3 and Xbox 360 Motion Sensing Approaches back in June of last year, so this isn't huge news it must be said.
However, CVG has fleshed it out by citing a 'top insider' that claims that Nintendo saw an early demo of the device from Israeli company 3DV Systems – the same company that is rumoured, but not confirmed, to be behind the peripheral that Microsoft unveiled at last year's E3.
“Honestly – I've heard Iwata describe the prototype he saw at length, and it's definitely Natal,” said CVG's source. “3DV showed off a camera that detected motion in 3D, and had voice recognition – but Iwata-san was unconvinced he could sell it at a Nintendo price point. He also had some worries around latency during gameplay.”
If true, it would seem clear that Nintendo was not going to be swayed by a camera-based add-on, given that the company had explored the technology before settling on the Wii Remote, which was unveiled at E3 2006. Last June, Iwata said that “his company had made experimental games controlled by camera-based sensors, but got better results with the accelerometers it eventually chose to use for its Wii console.”
The anonymous source continues; “What we witnessed at E3 [2009] was smaller and the facial [reading] stuff had improved, but it's the same technology [as the 2007 demo for Nintendo]. We remain unconvinced Natal will deliver on the more sophisticated elements of what Microsoft is promising at the price they're aiming for.”
Meow. No doubt Microsoft will have something to say about that, but the price issue might have some weight given that the company has recently made hardware modifications to Natal in order to keep the peripheral's price point down.
What say you, SPOnGers? Would Natal have been a good fit for Nintendo, or best left with Microsoft? Answers on a postcard - or preferably, on the forum below.
Read More Like This
Comments
Bukkows 27 Jan 2010 13:17
1/3
Let MS have it. Ninty know you can't polish a turd.
Daemon 27 Jan 2010 15:57
2/3
Seems likely that MS, being in a position of needing to catch up, were less concerned with price points and potential latency. There are only so many technologies available to be presented to companies, and I'm sure MS didn't want to become irrelevant in the new videogame world of motion (or, more cynically, the world of waggle).
I'm left dubious about how the Natal will turn out now, and if the technology isn't a good fit for the market (or the market that existed pre-Wii) I'm glad Nintendo chose another avenue.
I'm left dubious about how the Natal will turn out now, and if the technology isn't a good fit for the market (or the market that existed pre-Wii) I'm glad Nintendo chose another avenue.
360 20 Apr 2010 15:10
3/3
It might require the sort of processing power that the 360 has.